Leeds United Football Club - Time Is Of The Essence
Kevin Blackwell's summer recruiting drive is set to gather pace with the United boss hoping to add more new faces to the squad in the next few weeks.
Blackwell has already turned striker Rob Hulse's loan spell into a permanent move and he has been busy this week talking to players on his hit list.
Preparations for the new season actually began last season with Chairman Ken Bates giving Blackwell the go ahead to sign Ian Moore on transfer deadline day rather than risk him being tempted elsewhere in the summer, and the framework for Hulse to make his move was agreed.
Aside from those two, Blackwell and his coaching staff were busy watching players at home and abroad to help prepare his list of transfer targets. Now he's ready to make his move on them.
"We are very close on a few and hopefully it will be a case of weeks and not months,"said Blackwell.
"We identified the players we were after very early on and we have been able to speak to most of those and see who would be interested in moving here and the response has been very encouraging.
"Signing Rob Hulse is a great start to our pre-season, it shows the planning that we have in place at least two months earlier than we did last year.
"If one or two things happen we can move quickly and we'll be able to announce a couple more signings."
Just as last summer was important for Blackwell to get the right players to stabilise the club in the Championship, his decisions over the next few months will be equally important as he seeks the men to take the club from a mid-table finish into the top six next May.
"Whilst this season has been unbelievable in terms of turning it around and giving it some stability, next season I have to move it forward and that's another big test.
"So I have to make the right decisions and bring the right players in and move the club forward again."
Kevin Blackwell's summer recruiting drive is set to gather pace with the United boss hoping to add more new faces to the squad in the next few weeks.
Blackwell has already turned striker Rob Hulse's loan spell into a permanent move and he has been busy this week talking to players on his hit list.
Preparations for the new season actually began last season with Chairman Ken Bates giving Blackwell the go ahead to sign Ian Moore on transfer deadline day rather than risk him being tempted elsewhere in the summer, and the framework for Hulse to make his move was agreed.
Aside from those two, Blackwell and his coaching staff were busy watching players at home and abroad to help prepare his list of transfer targets. Now he's ready to make his move on them.
"We are very close on a few and hopefully it will be a case of weeks and not months,"said Blackwell.
"We identified the players we were after very early on and we have been able to speak to most of those and see who would be interested in moving here and the response has been very encouraging.
"Signing Rob Hulse is a great start to our pre-season, it shows the planning that we have in place at least two months earlier than we did last year.
"If one or two things happen we can move quickly and we'll be able to announce a couple more signings."
Just as last summer was important for Blackwell to get the right players to stabilise the club in the Championship, his decisions over the next few months will be equally important as he seeks the men to take the club from a mid-table finish into the top six next May.
"Whilst this season has been unbelievable in terms of turning it around and giving it some stability, next season I have to move it forward and that's another big test.
"So I have to make the right decisions and bring the right players in and move the club forward again."